Food 52’s Healthiest: Radish Cous Cous

Every Tuesday, we scan Food 52′s delectable menu of recipes for the healthiest picks they’ve got—bringing you seasonal, scrumptious fare that’s really good for you.

(Photo: James Ransom for Food52.com)

Every Tuesday, we scan Food 52′s delectable menu of recipes for the healthiest picks they’ve got—bringing you seasonal, scrumptious fare that’s really good for you.

Radishes are super low in calories and contain a ton of vitamins and phytonutrients, and the avocado delivers a dose of healthy fats. We also love how quickly this salad can be made (30 minutes!) and that it works as a side dish or all on its own.

1. If you can make the cous cous a little ahead, great, because you don’t want it to be super hot when you toss it with the salad. (Otherwise, do what I did and throw it into the fridge for 20 minutes.) I like to cook the cous cous with chicken stock, instead of water. Add a little salt and pepper.

2. Make the dressing: Spoon the avocado into a small bowl. Using a fork, give it a good smooshing, until the avocado is mashed. Add the lemon juice, and a little salt and pepper. Pour the oil in a thin stream, whisking as you go, until the dressing is creamy. Taste to make sure the salt and pepper ratio is working.

3. Wash and cut the ends off the radishes. For this salad, I like to cut the radishes into kind of chunky pieces, so you really taste it when you take a bite. Wash the cucumber, and cut it similarly.

4. The chili and the scallions should be cut more thinly than the radish and cucumber. Wash the chili and cut it in half lengthwise. Se-seed it, and then cut each half crosswise. Wash the scallions, and cut the white parts crosswise.

5. Toss the cous cous, the edamame, the radishes, the cucumber, the chili, the scallions and the arugula together in a large bowl. Add the dressing, and toss until everything is evenly coated.